Bruno Fernandes defends Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal walkout

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has publicly backed Cristiano Ronaldo after the 41-year-old walked out of Portugal’s camp during the Nations League, throwing his international future into doubt.

According to Goal.com, Ronaldo was an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Norway, his first such omission in 18 years. He then held talks with head coach Jorge Jesus, 72, and Portuguese Football Federation officials before departing last week.

Fernandes has moved to calm tensions, lauding Ronaldo’s status in Portuguese football and emphasising unity, with a preference for resolving matters in-house.

Ronaldo later left the training camp after the national team press conference and a conversation with the federation president, and he promised to set out his reasons to the Portuguese public in due course.

The fallout extended online, with the national team’s Instagram account losing more than 1 million followers within 24 hours. Ronaldo also liked a post critical of the federation and coaching staff. Jesus acknowledged the situation and maintained the striker’s status is not in question, indicating he would address it after the game.

Despite the turbulence, Portugal top Group A4 in the 2026-27 Nations League, unbeaten with victories over Wales, Norway and Denmark.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”